Read Jon's story about his recent Civilian Work Attachment with Yodel

September 29 2017

Delivering millions of parcels across the UK every week takes focus, structure, and the proverbial military precision. It also takes the right kind of people, which is exactly why we’ve just launched a brand new initiative here at Yodel that gives people who are coming to the end of their military contracts a taste of life in the private sector, with our membership of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant, and our Silver award in the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, we think it will be a perfect fit.

We asked Jon Crabtree, who has a 22 year career in the Army, first as a mechanic and then as an HR specialist in the Adjutant General's Corps, todetail his experience.

“In the Army, there’s a huge focus on both teamwork and on working independently, and I’d like to learn more about how that translates to the private sector, particularly in HR. I think this placement will give me a really good feel for how companies like Yodel work, and I’m looking forward to exploring more.”

But placements like this aren’t just about flexing the skills you already have. Learning new ways of working is a huge part of the transition process and we’ve designed our initiative to help candidates do just that.

“Managing people in the Army is mostly about giving orders, and I’ve spent 22 years in that kind of environment”, explains Jon. “I’ve already had a taste of how things are done in the private sector when I spent some time working at our personnel recovery unit in Preston, managing three civilians. But now I’m looking forward to learning more about the soft skills you need to communicate and get results in a different way.”

“It has been a fantastic three weeks”, said Jon, “a real eye opener. It’s an experience that I will be recommending to everyone as they transition out of their military contracts, and it has been an invaluable opportunity to learn how the private sector works in real life. I know that I can now manage my expectations and target myself to a particular industry, and I’ve taken a lot away from the last three weeks.”

“The biggest piece of advice I can offer to anyone else in my situation is to be proactive, and try to find a placement like Yodel’s, even if it’s not in the kind of company you ever thought you’d work for. It will give you a good understanding of what’s different about the private sector, and show you what you need to do to be more in line with civilian culture, which is essential if you’re looking for work outside of the military.”

If you would like to learn more about taking part in a Civilian Work Attachment, email yodel.recruitment@yodel.co.uk